DCU failed to appear in the latest university rankings last week but according to the Times Higher Education (THE) the university is “just outside” the top 400 universities in the world.
David Suter, spokesperson for the Times Higher Education, stated that DCU is “only just outside” their top 400 in the World University Rankings.
He says that the university “did climb again this year” and labels it as a “possible new entry” for the 2015-2016 rankings.
The university has featured in the Times Higher Education’s top 100 universities under 50 years old for the past three years and claimed the 92nd spot in those rankings earlier this year.
NUI Galway was the only Irish institution to move up in the rankings and now sits in 261st place.
Speaking about their improved scores, NUIG President Jim Browne said that “despite significant cuts in overall funding at third-level in Ireland and increased student numbers, our university has gone against the tide to secure a consistent improvement in these very competitive rankings”.
He added that “support on a national level must be maintained for universities such as NUI Galway to continue with their success”.
Institutions such as Trinity College, UCD and University College Cork all experienced significant drops in the THE World University Rankings compared to previous years. Highest-placed TCD dropped nine places to 138th, while UCD is now out of the top 200 and UCC lies in the 276-300 range.
Trinity College blamed their fall in the World University Rankings on a lack of funding, stating that its annual budget is 45 per cent lower than that of the average top 200 universities.
Trinity’s Dean of Research Vinny Cahill described the recent rankings as “a wake-up call” for Ireland’s higher education sector and added that “more sustained investment is needed to drive societal and economic renewal”.
The top 50 universities were dominated by both British and American institutions, with the California Institute of Technology claiming the top spot for the fourth year in a row.
The THE World University Rankings judge research-led universities over core missions such as teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.
Sharron Lynskey
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